It’s a nice song, well composed, and the sounds you’ve recorded are all very good. I jumped right in on V3, and only read a few of the comments to not get a bashing bias, so here is what I’m hearing. The song seems to be fighting whether it’s supposed to drive or coast, kind of rock vs. folk. If you want it to drive a bit more, I’d pan the acoustic into the middle, under the vocal, and add a cleanish electric on the left to play off the Les Paul. Since you’re using Scuffham, you could check out a Fender Tweed setting with a touch of drive. From there you would need to bring the drums up a little, but you would have a big stage with the propulsion still coming from the acoustic. Hope that makes sense. To me there’s a little conflict caused by the acoustic being as big as the crunchy electric, and that would solve it. It’s really good as it is, by the way, just a suggestion.
Hey Dave - BIG improvement the solidity of the low end and thus the groove here - this is coming along really nicely!
I agree with Styles - you could bring the snare drum up a tad. Maybe put some very subtle space around the drums too.
I’ll vote for a tad more bass, but be really careful you do decide to implement it - it’s sitting very nice and tight as it is atm.
Another suggestion: the prechorus with that descending root note motif is just begging for some harmonies under “and when all is said and done…”
I think the lead vocals could be controlled dynamically a bit better too - whether that means more compression and/ or automation, you’d have to work it out, but I’d like to hear the vocals just tuck into the instrumental backing a tiny bit more.
Good stuff!
Bob, Andrew, thanks very much-- Bob, as you’ll see, you’re not the first to point out the song’s “identity crisis” between rock & folk. I definitely want it to rock more than folk, so I will definitely check out your suggestion of moving the acoustic to center and adding a second electric.
Andrew, adding harmonies was Patrick’s suggestion too, so I will give it some serious consideration. And yeah, I don’t want to mess up the progress I’ve made with the bass. If I do end up taking Bob’s advice, anything done further to the bass will be in context to those changes.
And it’s a certainty that if I make changes of that scale, everything will be releveled as part of the new mix…!
Thanks again guys!! 
Hey, quick update. I took Bob’s advice and added a second electric track on the right, moving the acoustic to the center. Works great! I still need to fiddle with the settings to get the right tone, but it clearly had the desired effect.
Going to work on some harmony bgv for that phrase next, and will post a rev once I get that done. 
OK, I’ve just put V4 in the OP. I took the advice of Bob @StylesBitchley and Andrew @ColdRoomStudio, with the guitar change as noted in the previous post and adding harmonies to the “and when all is said and done” bits of the choruses. Once again, I think it’s a significant improvement over earlier versions-- thanks guys!!
I can only see 3 versions there.
It’s there now, I did this post first and then the OP…! You are Johnny on the spot there dude!
Sounds great Dave! Love that harmony! Very cool. Stamp it, I say.
Thumbs up!
Thanks gents! I really like how moving the acoustic to the center and adding the other guitar affected the sound. The new guitar track is with my Heritage 535 semihollow using a tweedy amp from Amplitube, which is mostly clean but with a dash of gain for grit. Now I can pick up the transients from the pick on the acoustic just under the vox and, with those two electrics bracketing it, that is a very pleasing sound, to me anyway. 
Nice Job CW!
I’m hearing John Hiatt and Elvis Costello in the production and vocals. I like it a lot.
The only thing that bugs me is the timing. And it’s not just the drums/hat that you fixed. There are a few upstrokes on the acoustic that jump out. I think that they could be “charming” if the peaks are controlled. There is nothing “bad” with the performance, really. I’m just an insecure drummer and sensitive to that timing stuff… 
And while I’m at it… as an even more insecure bassist… I’d like to hear a little more…
Killer mix and tones all around!
Awesome Rich-- those are exactly the two artists whom I was “channeling” for this. You win a prize! 
I’m pretty sure I know just what you mean about those upstrokes on the acoustic, and they were quite deliberate applications of a bit of syncopation just to try to zest up the beat a little.
On the bass, when you say you’d like to hear more, do you mean in level, definition, a more elaborate bassline to start with…?
Thanks for the bash!
Sounds great, lots more drive to it now. I kind of agree with Rich on the bass. I think the easiest thing for you to do would be to go to eighth notes on the first two choruses, and then stay on eighths for the rest of the song. That would give you more of a buildup through the song and add a little more oomph to it. Great job, he shoots, he scores!
Amazing! I’m off for a few days and there are hundreds of users now and you’re on v4 of this tune!
Sounds a lot better now, I think you nailed it (apart from the awkward snare entry and the hi hat being too loud in the intro, ah! ). Print that puppy now! :beerbang:
Welcome back Patrick! Was just wondering what had become of you these past few days. Yep, this place is jumpin!! Tons of activity and I am certain that it has been a big part in me finally overcoming my lonnnnnng creative block. Feeling energized for sure. Thanks for the re-listen! And I even have a second original being bashed now, which you will shortly come across…